During manufacturing work such as machining, routing, cutting, and welding, the work pieces are often held by clamps when a manufacturing tool engages the work piece. Typically such clamps are placed independently from the manufacturing tool. Such clamps include bar clamps, c-clamps, vises, and similar clamping tools. In manufacturing operations where a tool engages the work piece with substantial force, clamping near where the manufacturing tool engages the work piece may not be sufficient to hold the work piece in position. There may be a distance between the manufacturing tool and the applied clamp or clamps. Further, clamping may not be engaged in most or all areas surrounding the tool as the tool engages the work piece.
In friction stir welding, a process that plastically bonds metals, plunging the friction stir welding tool into a weld line of a work piece, and moving the tool along the weld line can push the parts of the work piece being welded away from the underlying structure, or away from each other.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need in the art for clamping systems that can engage a work piece close to a manufacturing tool.